is located at IONA College, New Rochelle, NY (Westchester County)and is dedicated to providing access to the Irish Language in a variety of ways. Four levels in language classes and an annual day event celebrating the Irish Language with approximately 60 participants from the Tri-state area and Massachusetts. This blog is in English as it is for communication with all our students, beginners, intermediate and advanced.

Tuesday, January 13, 2009

Breandán Caolai, vice-consul, was in touch recently to let me know that they are organizing a great evening in the Office of the Consul General of Ireland to start Irish Language events in NYC in 2009. It will be on January 30th from 6 until 8 pm and everyone with interest in Irish is welcome.Everyone is also welcome to participate, whether by singing, reciting poetry or telling a story in Irish.The event is free and to gain entry one must be on the door list, all you need to do is call (212) 319-2555 and ask that your name be added to the list for this event and then make sure to bring ID with you on the night.

It will be a great chance to meet up with others with interest in Irish and for learners a chance to practice your language skills without pressure!

Tuesday, January 6, 2009

I just received confirmation of our dates for Spring 2009 from IONA College.We are starting a little later than usual this year as current students expressed the preference for starting as late as possible in February and therefore missing the harsh winter weather. Unfortunately the rooms we use are not available for the final week in February.

In the meantime there are many ways of keeping up to speed with your Irish Langauge Skills (Web TG4 and RnaG, blogs and most of all meeting up with others and practising in a social setting...the best way)New students can even get started with Rosetta Stone for example. I've seen level 1 and it seems very good, though I'd love to hear from users about how they are doing with it.The combination sets start to get quite expensive.

About An Scoil Chois Claí

An Scoil Chois Claí came about some years ago when a group of people who wanted to learn Irish and a couple of teachers who wanted to teach Irish came together, but we were homeless, hence the name. First meetings were in a diner but shortly thereafter the group was rescued from homelessness by Muiris Bric and The Kerry Association and given a roof in their lovely headquarters in Yonkers NY. A year later Brother Charles Quinn of Iona Collage, New Rochelle NY helped arrange shelter for the group on the Iona college campus which is where we have been located ever since, offering continuing education classes in four levels of Irish, in the La Penta building. We also have a celebration of the Irish Language every Spring in our Lá na Gaeilge, Irish Language Day, whichis usually held in April.Brother Quinn sadly passed away in February, 2007, but we will always appreciate his assistance and his lifelong dedication to the Irish Language.

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Classes and Events

Evening Classes are open to the public and are conducted at Iona College, New Rochelle, NY.

Irish Language Day

An Irish Language Immersion Day, Lá na Gaeilge, is held annually drawing approximately 70 people together to a convivial environment where exposure to Irish is the primaryfunction, with generous helpings of key ingredients craic, siamsa and spraoi.

Múinteoirí - Current Teachers

Caoimhe Ní Bhaoill has over twenty years experience teaching Irish in the Irish School System and at Summer Colleges in Ireland. Her expertise includes modern and old Irish. She has been teaching Irish in New York for over 7 years.Eibhlín Zurell has a long standing involvement with Daltaí na Gaeilge, in running the Irish Language immersion weekends and an annual immersion week. She has also been teaching Irish for over seventeen years in the tri-state area, and has been an invited teacher and speaker at Irish Language Events throughout the country.Hilary Sweeney (de Bhál, bean Mhic Suibhne) has been teaching Irish in the NY area with Irish cultural organizations and with Daltaí na Gaeilge since 1999. She currently teaches Irish in the Irish Studies Program at New York University. She is frequently an invited teacher at Irish Language Events throughout the country. She writes the Irish Language Blog Hilary NY